Minnesota's in the Middle

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Maureen Reed

Peter Hutchinson's 2006 running mate Maureen Reed is challenging Michele Bachmann looking for the endorsement of both the DFL and Independence Party as Elwin Tinklenberg recieved in 2008.

Bachmann clearly has a large target considering how outspoken and often silly she sounds and how competitive her first two races were. If the goal is to defeat Bachmann then the DFL must understand that she can only have one opponent. There is no question if she runs on the DFL line that someone will take the Independence Party line and take 5-10% of the anti Bachmann vote. The only hope is that she is on the Independence line with a clear DFL line. I can't see it happening, and I'm sure Reed understands this. I'm also sure the DFL is unwilling to sacrifice to defeat Bachmann just as the Republicans have been unwilling to sacrifice to defeat Keith Ellison. They may embrace Reed over all other DFL candidates, but they will be unwilling to put her and the Independence Party in position to win.

In the end this looks like a Bachmann victory 48% to 45% with an IP ballot line candidate making up more then the difference. I used to close a blog like this saying this is a case for instant run off voting, but Democrats have decided they don't want it, and thus Republicans can take advantage.

42%

Jesse Ventura said we should have a none of the above option on the ballot in the US Senate race, and 6 months later we have exactly that. While the closeness of the race and not the quality of the candidates is the reason for the delay justice is being served to both Norm Coleman and Al Franken. Both could not reach 42% of the vote. To put that in perspective think about the best of 7 playoff series going on in the NHL and NBA right now. 3 out of 7 is 42.85% and represents the end of a season. In a few months a winner will be sent to Washington, with no clear answer as to why one candidate gained hundereds of votes over the course of the recount. Whoever it is will serve a for 5 years and lose a re-election bid should they be so arrogent as to run again, and while it can be said Minnesota is shorthanded in the US Senate that speaks more to the lack of integroty shown by the other 98 Senators and/or the lack of ability of our sitting US Senator.

As for the none of the above option nobody in power is going to allow it, however their may be a legal way to create the option. If you recall in 2006 Robert Fitzgerald ran for US Senate despite the fact he was 29 on election day. He was considered an elegible candidate because he turned 30 by the time he would have been seated in January. I am among the thousands of Minnesotans that was 29 when US Senators should have been seated but have turned 30 since. As far as I'm concearned this sets precedent in the future for all those that potentially fit this catagory to run for office, and should they win they could start their term the day they hit 30.

In 2012 a 24 year old should run for US Senate, then maybe we will stop seeing candidates that can't win game Seven.